X-Files: I Want to Believe
Mark Snow
" X doesn't always mark the spot. "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The X-Files have been a long-time cult classic on TV. It was the benchmark for all those killer shows out there. It was proof that a series could enthral audiences to stay at their home and catch that episode airing on screen. It resulted in one of the biggest fanbases imaginable, countless awards and at the time a big production movie. Today that spark has somewhat disappeared. Now they talk about series like Heroes, 24 and Lost. Not surprisingly, to resurrect that state of mind, somewhat inconspicuous another X-Files movie was released. Entitled X-Files: I want to Believe, it stars the two lead characters and X-Files composer Mark Snow.
If we want to compare I Want to Believe with the first big X-Files movie, Fight the Future, you better watch out. I Want to Believe is less spectacular and ultimately far more boring to hear. What nice material and what lovely twists Fight the Future had, what little inspiring does I want to Believe bring. This is a shame considering the album doesn't start bad at all.
The gloomy opening aside, "Moonrise" is a frenetic cello piece that builds extremely well on its suspenseful pace, until "No Cures / Looking for Fox" turns up lovely with piano and light choir. Nothing innovating but extremely touching for an X-Files product. The loveliness continues in "The Trip to DC" with the returning "Crossroads" piece from Fight the Future (aka the Sixth Sense piece). Considering it already appeared in the first X-Files film, and that one was in 1998 it cannot be seen as temp track at all.
While "Father Joe" is still nice with its solo vocal, the score becomes distinctly more moody and darkish. "What if you're Wrong / Sister" with its electronic effects, "Can't Sleep / Ice Field" with its moody suspense and the boring atmosphere of "March and Dig / Girl in the Box" and "A Higher Conscious" (watch out for a variation on the X-Files theme though) don't bring anything remotely interesting. Sad, considering from here on the only redeeming facts are the lovely dramatic pieces.
A wonderful cello sound we encounter during "The Surgery" and the piano alongside the strings conjure up that same emotion during "Good Luck". But after that it's back downhill.
The creepy "Seizure / Attempted Escape" is only salvaged through its dissonant stings, and "Foot Chase" due to the orchestral pace in the middle. But "Mountain Montage / The Plow", the cold "Photo Evidence", the ruckus during "The Preparation" or the disturbing underscore of "The Axe Post" aren't that interesting anymore after a while. The remarkable way to resurrect a sound for being "Tranquilized" is effective and somewhat unique.
The redeeming moments are heard at the end; the piano in "Box Them" and "Home Again" or Mark Snow's wife effectively whistling the main theme at the end of the track (it was stated a little earlier through light vocal effects). Truth be told, the appropriate remix of the theme by UNKLE results in a wonderful song that is easy to appreciate. "Dying to Live" is a bit harder in fact.
Nonetheless if you stretch the album out over 60 minutes of score, 40 minutes will consist of darker, unnerving and moody underscore while the true gems lie in the emotional music Snow unleashes for the movie. There is a new theme which is used during the score and it appears many times throughout the music. But during all the underscore it's sometimes easy to pass by it without knowing how you did. In Fight the Future some of the best material was when Snow pushed the envelope, making it big. None of that is present here, making X-Files: I want to Believe covering extremely little that warrants 70 minutes of it.
Tracklisting
1. Moonrise (3.39)
2. No Cures / Looking for Fox (2.49)
3. The Trip to DC (3.48)
4. Father Joe (1.31)
5. What if you're Wrong / Sister (3.58)
6. Ybara the Strange / Waterboard (2.25)
7. Can't Sleep / Ice Field (2.34)
8. March and Dig / Girl in the Box (4.57)
9. A Higher Conscious (5.28)
10. The Surgery (2.14)
11. Good Luck (1.34)
12. Seizure / Attempted Escape (1.53)
13. Foot Chase (3.34)
14. Mountain Montage / The Plow (1.44)
15. Photo Evidence (2.46)
16. The Preparation (1.34)
17. Tranquilized (1.46)
18. The Axe Post (2.52)
19. Box Them (1.41)
20. Home Again (4.17)
21. X-Files: UNKLE * (5.51)
22. Broken: UNKLE feat. Gavin Clark (4.42) Excellent track
23. Dying 2 Live: Xhibit (4.01)
* Variation on a Theme Surrender Sounds Session #10
Total Length: 71.49
If we want to compare I Want to Believe with the first big X-Files movie, Fight the Future, you better watch out. I Want to Believe is less spectacular and ultimately far more boring to hear. What nice material and what lovely twists Fight the Future had, what little inspiring does I want to Believe bring. This is a shame considering the album doesn't start bad at all.
The gloomy opening aside, "Moonrise" is a frenetic cello piece that builds extremely well on its suspenseful pace, until "No Cures / Looking for Fox" turns up lovely with piano and light choir. Nothing innovating but extremely touching for an X-Files product. The loveliness continues in "The Trip to DC" with the returning "Crossroads" piece from Fight the Future (aka the Sixth Sense piece). Considering it already appeared in the first X-Files film, and that one was in 1998 it cannot be seen as temp track at all.
While "Father Joe" is still nice with its solo vocal, the score becomes distinctly more moody and darkish. "What if you're Wrong / Sister" with its electronic effects, "Can't Sleep / Ice Field" with its moody suspense and the boring atmosphere of "March and Dig / Girl in the Box" and "A Higher Conscious" (watch out for a variation on the X-Files theme though) don't bring anything remotely interesting. Sad, considering from here on the only redeeming facts are the lovely dramatic pieces.
A wonderful cello sound we encounter during "The Surgery" and the piano alongside the strings conjure up that same emotion during "Good Luck". But after that it's back downhill.
The creepy "Seizure / Attempted Escape" is only salvaged through its dissonant stings, and "Foot Chase" due to the orchestral pace in the middle. But "Mountain Montage / The Plow", the cold "Photo Evidence", the ruckus during "The Preparation" or the disturbing underscore of "The Axe Post" aren't that interesting anymore after a while. The remarkable way to resurrect a sound for being "Tranquilized" is effective and somewhat unique.
The redeeming moments are heard at the end; the piano in "Box Them" and "Home Again" or Mark Snow's wife effectively whistling the main theme at the end of the track (it was stated a little earlier through light vocal effects). Truth be told, the appropriate remix of the theme by UNKLE results in a wonderful song that is easy to appreciate. "Dying to Live" is a bit harder in fact.
Nonetheless if you stretch the album out over 60 minutes of score, 40 minutes will consist of darker, unnerving and moody underscore while the true gems lie in the emotional music Snow unleashes for the movie. There is a new theme which is used during the score and it appears many times throughout the music. But during all the underscore it's sometimes easy to pass by it without knowing how you did. In Fight the Future some of the best material was when Snow pushed the envelope, making it big. None of that is present here, making X-Files: I want to Believe covering extremely little that warrants 70 minutes of it.
Tracklisting
1. Moonrise (3.39)
2. No Cures / Looking for Fox (2.49)
3. The Trip to DC (3.48)
4. Father Joe (1.31)
5. What if you're Wrong / Sister (3.58)
6. Ybara the Strange / Waterboard (2.25)
7. Can't Sleep / Ice Field (2.34)
8. March and Dig / Girl in the Box (4.57)
9. A Higher Conscious (5.28)
10. The Surgery (2.14)
11. Good Luck (1.34)
12. Seizure / Attempted Escape (1.53)
13. Foot Chase (3.34)
14. Mountain Montage / The Plow (1.44)
15. Photo Evidence (2.46)
16. The Preparation (1.34)
17. Tranquilized (1.46)
18. The Axe Post (2.52)
19. Box Them (1.41)
20. Home Again (4.17)
21. X-Files: UNKLE * (5.51)
22. Broken: UNKLE feat. Gavin Clark (4.42) Excellent track
23. Dying 2 Live: Xhibit (4.01)
* Variation on a Theme Surrender Sounds Session #10
Total Length: 71.49